The Shillong Literary Festival 2026 – New Delhi Prelude opened to a grand response at Bikaner House on May 9, bringing together prominent voices from literature, cinema, journalism, governance, and the creative arts ahead of the main festival scheduled to be held in Shillong from November 12 to 14.

Organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya, the two-day prelude aims to expand Meghalaya’s cultural presence nationally while promoting the state as a growing destination for literature, arts, music, and culture-led tourism.

A major highlight of the inaugural day was an engaging conversation between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and senior journalist Shekhar Gupta, where discussions centred on governance, youth aspirations, entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism, and the Northeast’s evolving identity.

Speaking on the growth of the literary festival, Sangma said the event had steadily evolved into a nationally recognised cultural platform. “We started off small. Now we are seeing it grow. It has become a calendar event, and more importantly it is known throughout the country,” he said, adding that the Delhi prelude was intended to introduce the festival to a wider audience across India.

He further expressed hope that the festival would eventually emerge as a globally recognised cultural event.

Commissioner and Secretary of the Meghalaya Tourism Department, Dr Vijay Kumar D, in his welcome address, said the festival celebrates Meghalaya’s literary, cinematic, musical, and cultural heritage while creating a larger national platform for voices from the Northeast.

The inaugural sessions also featured acclaimed filmmakers Dominic Sangma and Pradip Kurbah in conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Suparna Sharma on the evolving cinematic landscape of the Northeast and challenges faced by independent filmmakers.

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah captivated audiences during a special literary reading session titled The Elephant and the Tragopan, featuring works from Vikram Seth’s celebrated Beastly Tales from Here and There alongside stories by James Thurber.

The festival also celebrated Khasi and Garo literary traditions through readings by Prof. Streamlet Dkhar and Dr Crystal Cornelious D Marak, highlighting the region’s oral histories, indigenous literature, and linguistic heritage.

Day two of the festival will feature sessions on Northeast literature, ecology, food, identity, and translation, with speakers including Shobhaa De, Namita Gokhale, Sanjoy Hazarika, and Patricia Mukhim among others.

The opening evening concluded with performances under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Program (CM-MGMP), turning the venue into a vibrant celebration of Meghalaya’s music and cultural identity.